The Unofficial Homepage for
Liam O'Flaherty
Biographical Information
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1896 Liam O’Flaherty born August 28 at Gort na gCappal, Inishmore,
Aran Islands
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1908 Attends Rockwell College, outside Cashel, 1913 Co. Tipperary; and
Blackrock College, Dublin
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1914 One term at Holy Cross College, Clonliffe; leaves in December
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1914 One year at University College Dublin; 1915 studying classics
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1915 Serves in the Irish Guards (2nd Battalion) 1917 during Great War,
in France and Belgium; wounded September 1917; discharged with disability
pension; returned to England
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1918 Treated at George V military hospital, Dublin; granted BA (War
Service) by National University of Ireland
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1918 Travelled as ordinary sea-man to South 1920 America, Greece, Turkey
and Canada; hobo, lumberjack and other jobs, in Canada and USA. Involved
with Industrial Workers of the World (‘the Wobblies’); joins Communist
Party.
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1921 November: founder (with others) of Communist Party of Ireland
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1922 January: seizes Rotunda with party of unemployed; fights in Civil
War; flees Ireland
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1923 First novel, Thy Neighbour’s Wife, published in London; begins career
as professional writer
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1924 The Black Soul, a novel, and Spring Sowing, first collection of short
stories, published; involved in publication of To-Morrow magazine.
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1925 The Informer published
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1926 Marries Margaret Barrington; birth of daughter Pegeen
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1927 The Life of Tim Healy published. Assasination of Kevin O’Higgins
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1928 The Assasin published
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1929 First film version of The Informer
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1930 Visits Russia, returns through Poland, Germany and France. Birth of
second daughter Joyce
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1932 Election of de Valera to government; publication of the novel Skerrett.
Separation from wife
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1933 Nervous breakdown
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1934 Shame the Devil a wonderful work of autobiography published. Lives
in California for a year, where he meets Kitty Harding Tailer (d. 1990)
who from now would be his life-long companion.
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1935 John Ford’s version of The Informer. Hollywood Cemetery published
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1937 Famine, and The Short Stories of Liam O’Flaherty published French
film version of The Puritan
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1938 French film version of Mr Gilhooly
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1940 Moves to United States; but travels widely in the Americas with
Kitty Tailer
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1946 Returns to Europe; visits Ireland. Land published
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1948 Two Lovely Beasts published. Ireland declared a Republic.
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1950 Last novel, Insurrection, published
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1952 Settles in Dublin, with frequent visits to Paris
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1953 Publication of Dúil, a collection of stories in Gaelic
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1976 Publication of The Pedlar’s Revenge and Other Stories by Wolfhound
Press, Dublin, followed in succeeding years by the re-issue of most of
his novels by Wolfhound.
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became a member of Aosdana [check definition of this org]
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awarded the AIB Writer of the Year Award [check the actual item and
date]
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1982 Death of Margaret Barrington
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1983 Visited the Aran Islands for the last time with his lifelong partner,
Kitty Tailer, his nephew journalist and writer Brendan O Heithir, and
Seamus Cashman of Wolfhound Press.
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Sits for portrait sculpture (cast in bronze) by Anthony Stones. Copies
in The National Gallery, Dublin and University College, Galway
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1984 7 September: dies in Dublin
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1990 Kitty Tailer dies in Dublin [check date and year]
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1996 The Letters of Liam O’Flaherty Edited by Dr A. A. Kelly published
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An illustrated biographical volume with stories and novel extracts
extracts entitled Liam O’Flaherty’s Ireland by Peter Costello published
courtesy of Peter Costello’s book Liam O’Flaherty’s
Ireland, Wolfhound Press, Dublin 1996. ©
